France plunged into uncertainty after Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigns

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Thursday became the shortest-serving leader in the 66-year history of the fifth republic, tendering his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Macron was due to address the country in the wake of the collapse of the government of the 72-year-old veteran conservative politician and top European Commission official after the rival leftist New Popular Front and the far-right National Front joined ranks to oust Barnier in a crisis sparked when he forced through a "toxic" austerity budget over the heads of lawmakers.

Barnier's budget, which contained $63.2 billion of deeply unpopular cuts to social security and other government spending, is dead for now, after his 331-244 defeat in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

National Front leader Marine Le Pen said the budget was "toxic for the French."

Defending his position Barnier told lawmakers that France's financial difficulties would not be resolved by ousting him, imploring them to face up to the "realities of our debt" and that he did not want tough measures he put forward either, but that he had no choice.

Potential successors being floated included Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and centrist former presidential candidate Francois Bayrou who Sky News reported was expected to lunch with Marcon on Thursday at the Elysee Palace.

A key ally who helped Macron win his first and second terms in 2017 and 2022, Bayrou is the longtime leader of the Democratic Movement and commands support from across the political spectrum but holds just 36 of National Assembly's 577 seats -- 15 fewer than Barnier's Republicans party.

Such is the difficulty around finding a consensus in France's parliament where no party has an overall majority, the likelihood is of another caretaker prime minister like Gabriel Attal who stayed on after a snap election in July until Macron appointed Barnier in September.

The French Constitution requires at least a year between National Assembly elections, meaning fresh elections to try to resolve the deadlock in the lower house can't be held until July.

With his term due to run through April 2027, technically, Macron is safe but opposition lawmakers are becoming increasingly vocal in calling for him to be forced out for an early presidential election.

Le Pen said she was not seeking Macron's resignation but a senior party adviser described Marcon as a "fallen republican monarch" walking a tightrope.